Erna Solberg, head of the Norwegian Conservative Party, says that the hate campaign against Muslims today is like the one Jews suffered in the 1930s. She wants Norwegians to confront the everyday racism we see around us, at work, in clubs and on the internet, reports VG. "The way the extreme, anti-Islamic groups talk of Muslims today is comparable to the way extreme, antisemitic groups spoke of Jews in the decades that led up to WWII," Solberg told VG. Solberg stresses that Muslim don't get the same brutal treatment Jews did, but still thinks that the extreme harassment of Muslims has obvious similarities to Jew hatred. She says that it gives pause for thought that you can't dismiss this as something coming from outside Norwegian society.
The feeling is quite strong. It would have been easier to dismiss the acts if that person hadn't been raised in Norway and was apparently quite normal. "In 2011 Norwegians are different than in 1960, and if Norwegians who have a slightly different background, who have parents from another place, constantly see a politician debate which asks if they're just as Norwegians as others, it contributes to them feeling more distanced," Solberg told VG.
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